The Fargo VA Health Care System is recruiting for 1 full-time Dental Hygienist for the Surgical Care Service Line.
Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education. Applicants must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited dental hygiene program. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved programs are: (1) Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA (2) Education completed outside of the United States must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited United States programs and would enable the candidate to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, which is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Licensure/Certification (1) Licensure. Applicants must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist with a full, current and unrestricted license in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. (2) Certification. P.L. 97-35, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1981, requires persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75, Standards for the Accreditation of Educational Programs for and the Credentialing of Radiologic Personnel. To meet this requirement, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education and be certified as radiographers in their field. Accredited dental hygiene programs contain curriculum addressing radiologic procedures meets the requirement for certification as dental radiographers. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-09 Dental Hygienist Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level, which is defined as: Working knowledge of state-of-the-art preventive dentistry measures for patient instruction and training; Working knowledge of anatomy and physiology in order to interpret the examination request accurately; to understand the functioning and interrelationship of the various anatomical structures appearing on the radiographic image and the various stages of the examination to judge the acceptability of the radiograph for diagnostic use; and to present for viewing; Working knowledge of The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and related regulations and guidelines pertaining to dental matters; Providing individual and group oral health care instructions to inpatients, outpatients, Nursing Home Care Unit patients, etc. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-8 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: i. Knowledge of hygiene procedures to explain the process and indication, complications and expected treatment outcomes for each. ii. Knowledge of proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films. iii. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. iv. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure. v. Skill in educating patients and caregivers on periodontal disease, wellness, health maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and effects of illness, addictions, medications and tobacco on the oral cavity. vi. Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities to administer safe patient care. vii. Ability to assess the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health, recognize age-related changes in individual patients, adapt patient environment, and maximize patient's physical comfort. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. Assignments. Employees at this level serve as staff dental hygienists at the full performance level. They provide direct patient care and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients and require only general supervision from a dentist. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting), disease and treatment management recommendations, denture care, scaling and root planning, radiographs/image interpretation, patient education (e.g. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries and perio-disease prevention), behavior management, management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors), instrument sharpening, inter-service communication. Creditable Experience. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities and clinical competencies associated with current professional dental hygiene practice. This experience must be verified with the practitioner or the supervising officers. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment in private practice, United States (U.S.) military services, local/state/federal health care or educational facilities. Quality of Experience. Experience satisfying this requirement must be active, paid or non-paid professional practice employment as a dental hygienist. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to dental hygienist experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half time basis, would receive one full-time work week of credit for each two weeks of service. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Incumbent performs general dental hygiene and advanced clinical techniques and instructs affiliated dental hygiene program students. Incumbent plans, coordinates, and conducts preventive oral health programs for various patient groups; develops and modifies instructional methods, and performs oral evaluations on Community Living Center (CLC) patients. Incumbent works closely with, and under the general direction of a dentist. Duties include, but are not limited to: Customer Service - Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public - Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery Patient Care - Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans operatory/equipment for timely turnover - Thoroughly reviews patient health history in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), Dental Record Manager (DRM) Plus, and other medical records - Determines need for pre-treatment antibiotic prophylaxis and advises dentist when indication is found. As ordered by the attending dentist, retrieves antibiotics from Omnicell and dispenses to patient. - Retrieves chlorhexidine gluconate via Omnicell for patient pre-procedural mouth rinse. - Takes appropriate images (panographic, bitewing and periapical radiographs), as ordered by dental provider - Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently - Provides routine oral prophylactic care to include application of fluoride solutions - Provides gross debridement, deep scaling, and curettage and root planning procedures, as treatment planned by dental providers - Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when indicated - Applies desensitizing and sealant materials - Makes impressions for fluoride carrier trays - Decides if local anesthesia is indicated and informs dentist - Administers topical and local anesthetic agents - Accomplishes all procedures within standard infection control protocols - Records patient vital signs - Performs periodontal probing and assessment - Enters "appointment only" text orders for return to clinic dentist or hygienist appointments, per scope of practice and Dental Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), located in CPRS Tools. - Enters orders for radiographic exams, per Dental SOP, located in CPRS Tool Patient Education - Provides patient education appropriate to the patient's needs and oral condition - Prepares and provides individual and group oral health care instruction to inpatients, outpatients, and caregivers Dental Imaging - Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed - Utilizes dental imaging safety techniques; retakes are minimized - Demonstrates proper infection control protocol with radiographic procedures Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization - Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatory/equipment - Instruments are properly prepared for sterilization per SPS and Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) standards - Demonstrates knowledge and maintains standards in the use and reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) - Instruments are prepared in a manner that does not delay clinical care - Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in all procedures Administrative Functions - Assists in filling gaps in the schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments - Charts findings in patient records - Completes the day's progress notes by end of day Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized